Structures can be emplaced temporarily, constructed semi-permanently, or erected permanently for various commercial, industrial, or personal reasons. Whether such structures are positioned for minutes or years, it is desirable to align such in accordance with a reference angle while arranging the structures. For example, in occupied structures, it is important that floors, ceilings and walls be level, and/or reflect the design such that both load bearing and aesthetics are accomplished as intended. In industrial applications, a drill or other tool may suffer from reduced efficiency or failure based on deviations to an expected orientation. Examples of movable or self-propelled structures that may benefit from alignment include motor homes, recreational vehicles, cranes, elevated work platforms, military vehicles, and others. Pre-assembled or rapid deployment living or working quarters for use in undeveloped areas provide examples of semi-permanent or enduring structures that may benefit from angular alignment during construction.
Rather than develop a carefully graded surface on which to place the structure, the structure itself can be designed to include mechanisms allowing it to modify its alignment in regard to one or more reference angles using integral or couple-able means for aligning the structure, such as one or more mechanical jacks, wedges or cams, screws, or collapsible supports (including but not limited to, e.g., inflatable devices). Such devices are frequently controlled with some degree of automation using at least a power supply, and feedback can be received from various sensors or electrical components utilized in the system. To safely and efficiently utilize these and other structures, systems and methods can coordinate the efforts of various means of aligning a structure with a reference angle. A common reference angle is the direction of gravitational pull, but any angle may be defined and utilized.
In embodiments employing electro-mechanical jacks, one or more feet or surface-contacting portions of jacks may be extended to contact the ground and establish a rigid support base for the structure. By extending and retracting jacks associated with different locations on the structure, the structure may be aligned at any reference angle. Such jacks can be, for example, hydraulically powered or driven by electric motors.
However, even with assistance raising and lowering portions of the structure to modify alignment with a reference angle, precise control over two- and three-dimensional orientation of the structure requires not only automation of a single raising or lowering motion, but coordination between all means for aligning the structure. Further, techniques can be employed to reorient a structure after an initial setup, such as when settling earth changes the structure's orientation in regard to the reference angle(s), or based on a user's needs and preferences.